


Surprise Guests

by ddagent



Series: Modern Lion Pride [4]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Professors, F/M, Fluff, Kissing, Parenthood, Snowed In, Video Calling, interruptions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:48:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23686432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ddagent/pseuds/ddagent
Summary: While snowed in, Professor Jaime Lannister gives lectures over webcam, only to be interrupted by his wife and their three cubs. Part of the Modern Lion Pride series.
Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth
Series: Modern Lion Pride [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1672513
Comments: 72
Kudos: 257





	Surprise Guests

**Author's Note:**

> The amazing resthefuture prompted: "Modern Lion Pride - some online lecture or conference from Lannister-Tarth household with curious cubs hanging around their parents? :))" and I was powerless to resist! I hope you all enjoy

Sitting in his office, Professor Jaime Lannister double-checked his webcam and microphone. Satisfied that both were working correctly, he clicked the few buttons allowing him to video-conference with his students. While Winterfell was rich with history, it was also lousy with snow. This was the third time this school year that Jaime had been forced to cancel lectures because both he and his pupils were unable to make it into class. It was, however, the first time that he would be video-conferencing from home.

With a glance over his shoulder at the firmly closed door, Jaime addressed his small study group. “Thank you all for meeting like this. With the assignment on contradictory accounts of the Long Night due in two weeks, I didn’t want to push this catch-up session any further. Can everyone hear me, see me okay?”

\--

Lyanna Mormont gave a single nod along with the rest of her classmates. _Oh,_ she could see Professor Lannister all right. And the rest of his study. On the wall behind him were reproductions of Oathkeeper and Widow’s Wail, along with a vivid painting of the Blue Knight at the Harrenhal bear pit and what looked like a finger painting of a dragon. Lyanna peered closer at her screen in an attempt to get a better look. She wondered if Professor Lannister’s wife shared the study. Professor Tarth was Lyanna’s idol: accomplished, successful, well-respected. Tall. 

Maybe, if she was lucky, Professor Tarth would interrupt her husband’s video-call. After all, it wasn’t like Lyanna _needed_ help with this assignment.

\--

“So, the assignment. 3,000-word analysis on contradictory accounts of the Long Night. As primary sources, we have the accounts of Grand Maester Tarly, the journals of Brandon Stark, the last lord of Winterfell, and the deathbed recollections of Tyrion Lannister, Hand to the Dragon Queen. As we’ve discussed in class, there are other accounts from that period by a number of sources. Can anyone remember?”

Six faces looked blankly at him before Ms Mormont piped up. _“The Blue Knight wrote letters to her father, both before and after the battle._ ”

“Excellent; those are a great secondary source for comparison. What about you, Ms Snow? Any ideas?”

\--

Jeyne Snow rested her chin upon her hand, pointing her ample bosom in the direction of her webcam. “What about the recently translated accounts from the Dragon Queen’s commander?”

On her laptop screen, Jaime flashed that sexy smile of his. “ _Excellent suggestion, Ms Snow_.”

“Thank you, _Professor._ ”

As Jaime turned to coax an answer out of poor Podrick, Jeyne stared, teasing her bottom lip with her teeth, as she took in Jaime’s snowed-in appearance. His dark-blonde hair brushed the shell of his ear; his beard untrimmed and unruly. He looked like a Wildling from beyond the Wall, prepared to lavish the ‘Lord’s Kiss’ upon a highborn lady. He looked like a snack, too, in that crisp white shirt, open collar, and sleeves rolled up to expose his muscular forearms. Jeyne wondered if she could get a _one-on-one_ call with Professor Lannister. Find out what he was wearing below the belt. If anything.

Just then, the door to his study opened.

\--

“Sorry to interrupt,” Brienne said, poking her head around the door. “You forgot your coffee.”

“So _that’s_ what I’m missing.” Jaime sighed theatrically. From her position by the door, his wife held out his crimson coffee mug; ‘there are no men like me’ printed on the side. But he didn’t budge. “You can just leave it on the desk.”

“ _Jaime._ ”

He smirked and tapped an empty spot where his coffee mug could go. Before, when he’d had to cancel classes, they had spent snow days tucked up tight with their cubs. Baking Selwyn’s famous lemon curd biscuits; building blanket forts and telling stories. Stolen kisses when he would otherwise be in lectures. But, _now,_ he had a study group to lead. _Now,_ his wife tried to surreptitiously cross the room to leave him his coffee.

“Why don’t you review the list of alternate sources I’ve just emailed you?” he said to his students, doing his best to remember how to mute his screen as his wife approached. When she did, Jaime snagged Brienne’s hand and pulled her close. He tapped his bottom lip. “Something’s missing.”

“Idiot.” Yet his wife planted her mouth on his.

\--

 _Ugh._ Jeyne was thankful that Jaime had remembered to mute the screen; _not_ so thankful for the show he was putting on in front of the webcam. She didn’t need to see their lips smacking together, _thank you._ Gods, what did he even _see_ in her? His wife was taller, broader, and was not even _close_ to being pretty. Seven Hells, even the bear in that painting behind Jaime was prettier than Mrs Lannister. And, _yet,_ there she was. Kissing the most beautiful man in all of Westeros.

She muted her own screen before muttering, “They’re so disgusting.”

\--

 _They’re so sweet,_ Podrick thought as he tried not to stare at Professor Lannister and his wife kissing. Whenever Professor Tarth came to visit her husband, they were often chaste in their affections. But now, in their own home, their adoration for each other shone through. Their kiss was short, sweet; Professor Tarth immediately wiping the lip balm from Professor Lannister’s mouth before she left. Sighing, Podrick hoped he’d find someone like that one day. Someone who left him looking saddened by their departure, as Professor Lannister did now.

Podrick stared a beat too long at his Professor before he attempted to get back to work. _Alternate sources. Alternate sources._

\--

“Everyone get the list of alternate sources?” Jaime asked as he unmuted his screen. Six voices gave the affirmative. “Excellent. I just want to apologise quickly for…” He pressed his fingertips to his lips before shaking himself out of his reverie. He had students to teach; wisdom to impart. He could kiss his wife later. “Okay, so you all have a list of alternate sources in front of you. Now, what possible analytical frameworks can we apply here? Mr Payne?”

“ _Lion._ ”

Jaime bobbed his head, trying to understand the direction Podrick was taking. “Sure _,_ sure, there’s lots of contradictory accounts of the two Lannisters at the Long Night; journals from Grand Maester Qyburn even suggest that the Mad Queen was present.”

“ _No, ser. There’s a lion behind you.”_

Jaime twisted his head back, only to be faced with Brynden and his stuffed lion, Ser Roar. Before he could politely – yet _firmly_ – send his son out of the room, Brynden had scrambled across the study and was clutching at Jaime’s waist. With well-practised ease, Jaime lifted his son onto his lap and held both him and Ser Roar in a tight embrace. As a child, he had sat outside many boring –and lengthy – board meetings while his father tried to gain a firmer grip on the world. He refused to refuse his son affection just because he was in a video-conference.

“Hello, Little Moon,” Jaime said, kissing the top of Brynden’s head. He turned to the screen, and at the six faces of his students. “I’m sure you all remember my son, Brynden.” Two paws jabbed him in the chest. “Oh, and this is Ser Roar. He protects little cubs from White Walkers.”

Brynden nodded, clutching the golden fur tighter. “Daddy, can you tell me a story?”

Jaime wrapped his arm tighter around his son. “I can’t right now, Little Moon. Daddy’s giving a lecture over video-call.” He pointed at the screen; both Mister Seaworth and Podrick waving. “But I’ll be done soon. Why don’t you go find Mummy, and I’ll tell you a story later, okay?”

“Okay, Daddy. Love you.” Brynden planted a kiss to his cheek; Ser Roar doing the same. “Ser Roar loves you too.”

\--

Watching through his screen, Davos Seaworth’s heart clenched. Seeing Professor Lannister with his son made him want to call his own boys; see how life was treating them. They would no doubt be eager to know how he was finding life as an undergraduate at Winterfell University, older than some of the professors – including Lannister and his wife. He would tell them this story later on, of the video-call interrupted by two lion cubs, and remind his boys of all the times they had wanted to play with their own daddy.

\--

“Bye, Daddy!”

Brynden waved from the door as he and Ser Roar headed out in search of Brienne. Drawing in a deep breath, Jaime closed the door _firmly_ behind his son and re-took his seat in front of his laptop. Ms Mormont was trying to hold back her amusement; Ms Snow looked annoyed – he, too, was frustrated by the interruptions. Namely, because he would rather be spending time with his family. “Let’s get back to it. I believe we were discussing possible analytical frameworks?” Six heads nodded. “Excellent, so–—” Joanna began to wail. Even though Brienne was in the house, Jaime was unable to ignore the sound of his daughter crying. “Last interruption. I promise.”

And with that, he left his study.

\--

Shortly after that, the door opened. But it wasn’t Professor Lannister who entered. Lyanna grinned as she recognised the Professor’s eldest child toddle into the room. She was wearing plastic armour over a baggy blue sweatshirt and had a wooden sword slotted into a slash tied around her waist. A plastic helmet matted down unruly blonde hair a similar shade to her mother’s. In her arms, she clutched a doll who had a sword – albeit made out of felt – in her own hand.

The girl pulled herself up onto her father’s chair. _“Hello. I’m Cat. This is Elenei. She’s my squ–squire. I’m teaching her how to be a knight. Who are you?”_

“I’m Lyanna.”

On another screen, Podrick waved. “ _I’m Pod; we’re in your Dad’s class._ ”

 _“Aye, he’s giving us advice about an essay we have to write for him,”_ Davos explained, his expression softening at the young girl. “ _Elenei, that’s an interesting name.”_

_“It is. It’s from a story Mummy and Daddy told me, about the god of the sea and the goddess of the wind. Have you been on a boat before? We go on a boat every time we see Granddad. He lives on Tarth, which is an island.”_

Lyanna grinned. “I live on an island too. Bear Island!”

 _“Bear Island!”_ At that point, Cat made claws with her hands and began to growl.

And, at that point, Professor Lannister returned to his study, baby cub in tow. “Cat?”

\--

“Hi, Daddy. Lyanna lives on an island like Granddad.”

Jaime had expected six frustrated students when he returned to his study. He had _not_ expected to see his daughter holding court in front of the webcam. This was the problem when you had three cubs: one was fussy and only wanted Daddy, another was scared of White Walkers yet refused to let Mummy out of the house without Ser Roar to protect her. He had quite forgotten that Cat was out there having adventures and causing property damage. Or, in this case, conducting his study group.

“That’s very exciting, Little Lion,” Jaime placated, offering his hand so Cat and Elenei would relinquish his seat. His other daughter’s tiny fist clutched at his collar as he sat down. “Why don’t you go get the big book of maps and try and find Bear Island? You can show Brynden when he gets home from the neighbours.” 

Cat pouted. “Why can’t I stay in here with you?”

“Because I have work to do, Little Lion.” He pointed at the screen; Joanna’s hand reaching out with his. “These are my students, and they have questions before a _really_ important essay that’s due in two weeks.”

“Tell them to give it later. It’s a snow day. We _always_ spend those together.”

While Jaime was sure his students would _love_ a few days more to work on their assignments, he couldn’t quite explain to Catelyn that he’d changed his deadline to play with his children (even if she was his daughter’s namesake). That left Cat to run around their house, or to play quietly in here until Brienne got back from the neighbours. He loved his wife, that saint, that real knight in modern times, who had gone over to ensure their elderly neighbours had enough firewood lest they freeze to death in their home and Grandfather bought the place from their estranged daughter and _suddenly_ Tywin Lannister could be on their doorstep at a moment’s notice.

It was a slippery slope. So: “You can play quietly in here, but I still need to talk to my students, okay?”

Cat nodded. “Okay, Daddy. I’ll be quiet.”

 _And the Night King will return from beyond the Wall._ As his eldest daughter began to play, Jaime settled Joanna on his lap, making sure she had Barty the Bear close by. Taking in a deep breath, he apologised to his group for what would hopefully be the last time. “Okay. Analytical frameworks.”

\--

Jeyne paid little attention to what Jaime was saying. She was too busy staring at the _totally_ cute baby on his lap. _Daddy indeed._ Joanna was surprisingly adorable considering she had a troll for a mother. If these were the babies Jaime and _that_ made, what would hers and Jaime’s look like? All it took was a one-on-one meeting in his office.

\--

Podrick _really_ needed a one-on-one discussion with Professor Lannister. He _had_ intended to do his assignment on conflicting accounts from Stormlands houses during the Long Night, but now he felt he wouldn’t have enough content. As Professor Lannister discussed battle strategy, Goldenhand’s trial, the aftermath and division of forces, Podrick became even more lost. And distracted. Behind her father, Cat was thrusting her wooden sword through the air.

\--

 _Girl after my own heart._ Lyanna grinned as Cat defeated invisible enemy after invisible enemy. Professor Tarth held several acclaimed re-enactments at her museum; Lyanna wondered whether Cat had inherited her moves from her mother. As Professor Lannister discussed marking rubrics, Lyanna made a note to ask him whether he needed a babysitter. Cat, Brynden, and Joanna seemed as if they would be fun to watch, and getting work experience at the Northern Heritage Museum would be _much_ easier if she was on good terms with the Chief Curator.

\--

Davos discreetly sent a text to his eldest son to see if he was available for a chat later. Just as it sent, a large clatter was heard from Professor Lannister’s screen, along with the grumbles of a one-year-old who had heard a noise for the first time. It seemed as if this study session would be drawing to a close sooner rather than later. Professor Lannister was a good man; he’d keep going through lions and sea gods and bears. But it was clear his heart was elsewhere. Time to give the man an out.

“Professor, I’m afraid I have to head out; family emergency. Would it be alright to email you any questions I have?”

\--

“Uh, yeah, _sure,”_ Jaime replied, distracted not only by the sheaf of papers Cat had knocked down, and Joanna’s grumbles at wanting to see what her big sister was doing, but _also_ now by the sudden appearance of Brynden and Ser Roar. “You know, I think that’s a great idea for everyone. What I’ll do is set up an active document, and I can add any queries or questions to it, so you all have the same information. Okay?” He barely waited for six affirmatives. “Good. Thank you, everyone. Good luck with your assignment.”

Jaime quickly ended the call and sagged in his chair. He looked at his three cubs who had now gathered around, all eager for his attention. The rare times they’d had snow in the Westerlands, Tywin Lannister had taken to his study and only emerged for dinner. There had been no stories. No blanket forts and freshly baked biscuits. Jaime didn’t want to be his father. His students could wait another day. Perhaps, if he sent Catelyn a box of lemon curd biscuits, she’d approve a deadline extension.

The final member of their Pride entered the study looking aggrieved. “Jaime, I’m so sorry!” Brienne bit her bottom lip, brow furrowed, and Jaime longed to ease the tension in her shoulders. Had she missed their snow day adventures too? He hoped so. They were about to start earlier than planned. “I’ve got them, now. Come on, you two; let’s leave Daddy to his video call. I’ll take Joanna.” 

“No need.” He stood up from his desk, Brynden around his legs while Cat raced to hold Mummy’s hand. “School’s out.” Jaime grinned. “It’s a snow day, you know, and I think we’re well overdue for a blanket fort. Don’t you agree?”

Brienne beamed; her blue eyes shining. “I do. Lucky for us, there’s fresh biscuits on a cooling rack.”

“We’re always lucky.” He leant up and brushed his lips against his wife’s cheek. “At least, I am.”

Jaime smiled and, with his wife and children racing ahead, closed the door of his study behind him.


End file.
